The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock with a locking mechanism essentially comprising a rotary latch and pawl as well as a release element for the locking mechanism and a storage element, ensuring an unobstructed opening movement of the rotary latch from a closed into an open position.
In a motor vehicle door lock of the described design and as disclosed in DE 10 2006 032 033 A1, the storage element ensures that when in a storage position, the pawl is kept in its release position when the rotary latch is rotated out of its closed position until it passes the initial locking position. For this purpose, the storage element contains a support section assigned to the release element, moving in front of a storage stage of the rotary latch upon actuation of the release element in order to reach the storage position. This storage stage is exited again once the initial locking position has been passed. The storage element thus prevents that the pawl can unintentionally engage (again) with the rotary latch during the opening movement of the rotary latch. Such operational states are, for instance, feasible in tailgates and in the event that they are, for instance, covered by a snow load.
In a motor vehicle door closure according to DE 40 42 678 C1, a storage lever is assigned to a triggering lever as a storage element. In the storage position of the storage element the pawl is retained in the open position until the rotary latch has been completely opened by manual opening of a respective motor vehicle door. In this way it should be ensured that where, for instance, opening of the motor vehicle door is actuated remotely but is not executed fully, the pawl is prevented from engaging in the rotary latch (again) and the door can not (no longer) be opened. Such an operational state can occur when the motorized drive for disengaging the pawl is returned to its base position after the remote control opening signal.
Not all aspects of prior art embodiments are satisfactory. The design disclosed in DE 40 42 678 C1 is relative complex, using numerous levers. DE 10 2006 032 033 A1 has simplified this point, as the storage element now contains a support section assigned to the release element. The storage element does, however, still act on the pawl in order to retain it in its release position. As soon as the functionality of the storage element is impaired in any way, the pawl can still engage with the rotary latch, so that malfunctioning must be feared. The invention aims to remedy this.